Latest NewsArchbishop Tutu 'saddened' by President Obama's decision to cut HIV/AIDS spending
by Matthew Davies
[Episcopal News Service]Archbishop Emeritus of Cape Town Desmond Tutu has called it "deeply distressing" that President Barack Obama has decided "to spend less than he promised to treat AIDS patients in Africa."
Tutu, writing in the New York Times on July 20, said he is "saddened"
that Obama has chosen to cut U.S. contributions to the Global Fund to
Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, an international financing
institution that has committed $19.3 billion in 144 countries to
support large-scale prevention, treatment and care programs against
the three diseases.
Tutu described the fund as "the premier model for results-driven aid."
Full story: http://www.episcopalchurch.org/79425_123586_ENG_HTM.htm
From the Bishop of London, 13th July 2010
General Synod – What actually happened?
Photo: Episcopal News Service, M Davies
Dear Friends,
Most of us get information about what is happening in the rest of the church beyond our own patch from the mass media. Understandably in a fierce ratings war and in the struggle to get religious news of any kind reported there is tendency to hype and dramatise and to give undue prominence to extreme voices.
Almost every week we are told that that the Church of England faces “the greatest crisis since the reformation” and “that a split is imminent”.
Actually the weather at the 2010 General Synod in York was much more temperate than in July 2009. I was very proud of the way in which your representatives from the London Diocese, speaking from different viewpoints, made a constructive contribution to many of the debates. The Bishop of Willesden in particular with his characteristic candour shone a bright light on the complex business before us.
The outcome is that the measure to permit women to be consecrated to the episcopate has been remitted for consideration in the Dioceses. This process will take about eighteen months before the matter returns to the General Synod.
There is no doubt that a substantial majority in the Synod and in the Church is strongly in favour of this change and for many, the Synod’s decision will be a cause for heartfelt rejoicing. It was also significant that only a very few of those opposed to this measure sought to delay the process. There is a general feeling that it is urgent to conclude a debate which can appear somewhat introverted when our real focus must be on our unity in mission and in service to a country facing turbulent times.
In consequence much of the discussion was about how to secure an honoured place for those who cannot accept such a decision as one authorised by scripture and tradition and who believe that it will erect new obstacles in our relations with other parts of the “one, holy catholic and apostolic church” to which we claim to belong.
It is emphatically not true to say that the measure as it stands contains no provisions for those who hold such a view. Attempts during the two days of debate to amend the draft measure to remove any arrangements to assist those who adhere to the present practice of the Church were decisively rebuffed.
The draft as it stands offers a “statutory code of practice” to protect the position of those opposed to this development. The question which occupied much of our time was –“Is it enough?”
There was clearly an anxiety in some parts of the Synod that given the sense among a number of supporters of the proposal to ordain women as bishops that this was a gospel and justice matter, “a code of practice” would not be strong enough to ensure respect for the minority who on theological and biblical grounds continued to resist the change.
It is a complex question particularly given the fact that the contents of such a code have not been worked out. At the same time a number of words which have been used in the debate thus far, such as “delegation” and “transfer” have become freighted with negative connotations.
The Archbishops attempted to clear a way through the impasse by introducing the concept of “co-ordinate jurisdiction”. The contents of such a “co-ordinariate” would also have to be settled by reference to the, as yet undrafted, code of practice. Although I voted for the amendment, it is unsurprising that there was a good deal of confusion about what such a concept might mean in practice. The Archbishops’ proposal failed to secure a majority in the House of Clergy although it passed the Bishops and the Laity.
The important point is that valiant attempts are being made to open the way for women to be consecrated bishops without excluding from the church those who adhere to the present position and who share the faith which inspires our mission.
We now have an opportunity to consider the draft legislation in the Diocese and I shall be setting out the process for doing this in due course. At the same time the House of Bishops is charged with working on the vital question of the Code of Practice. The Bishop of Willesden and I will be fully involved in these discussions.
There will be a special meeting of the Diocesan Synod to ponder and vote on the advice which London will be sending back to the General Synod.
I do hope that anyone questioning their place in the Church of England on the basis of media reports or premature judgements about the final shape of the legislation will get in touch with me or with their respective Area Bishop before making any personal decisions or public statements.
I returned from York clear both that the majority will is to ordain women bishops while at the same time preserving, as far as possible, the unity of the church in her mission and service to our country.
With thanks for our partnership in the Gospel. +Richard Londin
New Statesman Interview with the Archbishop of Canterbury (July 2010)
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41 new clergy ordained by Bishop of London
The Bishop of London, Dr Richard Chartres said:
"The church is deeply rooted in the community life of London and our team of several hundred clergy is refreshed each year by these new recruits. Many will be going into well established and growing parishes, but others will be working with prisoners and ex-offenders, with students and on estates, or reviving struggling congregations.
"They will not be sitting in churches waiting for people to come to them, they will be taking the Good News of Jesus out into our city wherever there is a need and a spiritual hunger."
New yew at Lambeth Palace
Bishop Richard is pictured with Russell Ball, President of the International Society of Arboriculture, and diocesan environment reps.
05/07/10
The Bishop of London has planted a yew tree in the gardens of Lambeth Palace to celebrate the UN International Year of Biodiversity. The tree was donated by the Conservation Foundation, which has launched a campaign to find the 7,000 Millennium Yews ten years on, many of which were planted in churchyards.
The planting was part of a national Shrinking the Footprint day at Lambeth Palace for environment officers and other diocesan representatives.
Speaking at the event, Bishop Richard said:
Bishop of London: We need spiritual ambition for Jesus"Planting a Millennium Yew tree in Lambeth Palace Garden is a reminder of the Church’s long heritage of caring for God’s creation and its commitment through Shrinking the Footprint to the International Year of Biodiversity.
"Every diocese in the Church of England now has environmental issues on its agenda and today has been a real encouragement to hear about the considerable amount going on throughout the Church here and elsewhere proving that the Church has a very real role to play not just in saving energy, but biodiversity and other environmental issues."
More than 1200 church leaders from 77 countries and 28 denominations attended Alpha International’s conference for leaders from Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) last week at Holy Trinity Brompton in London.
Among them were eight archbishops and 38 bishops including six orthodox bishops from Bulgaria and Romania. The week aims to train, equip and encourage leaders who are heading up Alpha courses in their nations. The Bishop of London, Richard Chartres, opened the conference with an address in which he told delegates, "The Christian movement throughout the entire world has really got to develop and increase in this century; proper "This is a very turbulent world, a world where we’re facing huge promise and huge peril and unless the followers of Jesus Christ have spiritual ambition and a real burning zeal to present Jesus Christ as part of the truth that will bring to fulfilment the promise of the 21st century, then things will look dark indeed."
He spoke about recent research undertaken of how many Londoners actually passionately want to convert fellow citizens to their worldview. "Thank God the largest group that want to do that are Christians." The second largest group were agnostics and atheists and the third largest group were Muslims, who he said have "burning zeal to see London as one of the great Islamic capitals of the world".
"I believe passionately that if the reference to God as we see him in the face of Jesus Christ is edited out of our world view, then this world becomes a flat land in which the only truth is competing human desires. "Genuine conversion to the way of Jesus consists in precisely this: Turning away from making a god of our own desires. "This is a thrilling agenda for the 21st century. This I believe is the heart of what we’re gathered here to be and do together."
